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Residents weigh in on possible dog park

Location

Many residents welcomed a dog park or not at a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting last Thursday, but brought up issues like safety and location.

City staff presented a mock-up of the proposed park, which would be divided into a section for small dogs and another for large dogs.

Some people strongly supported a dog park, with one resident, Debra Garcia saying that she was excited about having a communal space where dog owners could come together. Other residents said that with this park, they wouldn’t have to drive to dog parks in other cities.

Other residents expressed concerns about whether it was safe to put a dog park in such a heavily-used area, with some suggesting that the dog park go to the quieter Burke Heritage Park. One resident, Arturo Hernandez, said that he was attacked by a dog that wasn’t on his leash at Alhambra Park. He asked the City to get code enforcement or the police to patrol more, especially in the evenings.

Alhambra doesn’t currently allow dogs in city parks, whether on or off-leash.

The City of Alhambra has explored building a dog park several times in the past. Staff proposed the former site of the lawn bowling court at Almansor Park, after being unable to use federal funding or come up with enough City money to renovate the court.

Community Services Director Chris Paulson said that funding could come from leftover federal funding, which have already been used in various park improvements, as well as new construction tax revenue and the county-wide Measure A sales tax increase.

City staff also introduced plans to build batting cages by the baseball fields at Almansor Park. They asked residents to suggest other amenities for Almansor and the other parks. Among the suggestions were extending pool hours and converting a tennis court into pickle ball courts.

Click through the slideshow for various park improvement suggestions. Contact Alhambra’s Community Services Department with suggestions you have at (626) 570-5044.

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